Car-float



F. V. KEENA.

CAR FLOAT.

APPLICATlON FILED JUNE 30,1917.

1,362,009. Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET I I IIVI/EN TOR TORNE Y F. V. KEENA.

CAR FLOAT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30,1917.

1 ,362,009, Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS V. KEENA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAR-FLOAT.

Application filed June 30,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS VINCENT KEENA, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Floats, of which the following is a specification.

The device, the subject of this invention, is a conveyer adapted to be fitted to a boat, usually termed a car float.

The boat of the character referred to is a long flat barge having railroad tracks or rails secured thereto, and at each side of a platform.

The platform usually extends through the center of the barge or float, and material to be loaded into or unloaded from the cars upon the float is carried by hand or hand manipulated trucks along the platform through the center of the float, and distributed to the separate cars arranged adjacent thereto, or removed from the cars by being carried along the platform to the dock, bulkhead or warehouse.

My invention consists of providing a continuously operating conveyer upon which the material unloaded may be delivered directly from the cars. The conveyer will then carry the material to the dock or bulkhead and deposit it from whence itmay be distributed.

My conveyer is also useful in loading, as it materially lessens the amount of labor and the number of employees that shall be re quired in loading or unloading a train of cars arranged upon the float.

Qther advantages, the mechanical construction and the method of operation will be fully set forth in the specification which follows. 7

The following is what I consider a good means of carrying out my invention and the accompanying drawings should be referred to for a complete understanding of the specification which follows In the drawings Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a float upon which my device is arranged.

Fig. 2 is a fractional and enlarged view of a portion of one of the side rails or tracks.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partially sectional view of a conveyer member, and parts adjacent thereto.

Fig. 4 shows a plan view of a. float upon Specification of Letters Patent.

v shape and Patented Dec. 14, 1920. 1917. Serial No. 178,002.

which my conveyer is arranged. In this view the cover of the platform is removed.

Fig. 5 shows in diagram the general construction and operation of the conveyer alone.

Fig. 6 shows in detail a part removed.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in all the figures where they appear.

The float upon which my device is arranged may be of ordinary construction, size. It may be a two track or a four track float, with sufficient space between the innermost tracks for a freight platform.

The body of the float of ordinary construction is indicated by the reference numeral l, and the tracks, four of which are shown in Fig. 4, are indicated by the reference numerals 3, 4, 5 and 6, and as the arrangement or construction of these parts need not be changed, I will not enter into a detailed description of them.

Arranged at the longitudinal center of the float are a pair of rails spaced apart. Each of the rails consist of a channel iron as shown at 7 and 8 in Fig. 3, and the lowermost member of each channel iron is provided with recesses 9, into which rollers 10 are placed. These rollers operate freely in their supports, and it is over these rollers that the moving platform of the conveyer is caused to pass.

The conveyer platform consists of a platform of strips of wood of suitable length and thickness, such a strip being shown at 11, and it will be noted that each end of each wooden member is reduced, and that upon the reduced portion a metallic shoe 1212 is secured. These shoes prevent the wearing of the wooden strips by their passage over and contact with the rollers 10.

Secured to the underside of each of the wooden strips 11 are bars 13 and 14 which serve as gear teeth, and which mesh with driving and supporting gears which will be later described.

At each end of the channel guide or track members 7 and 8, I provide an extension as shown at 15'and 16 in Fig. 1. These extensions are pivoted to the main portion of their respective channel members, and the conveyer continues into these extensions and around pulleys or gear wheels 1718 rotatably secured adjacent to the free end of the extensions. An idler 19-20 is secured to the under side of each extension to retain the conveyer adjacent to the extension so that when the extension is lowered into the operative position, with the enlarged portion 21 or 22 resting upon a bulkhead or pier, the conveyer may freely travel without engaging with or impinging upon the bulkhead or pier.

I provide a chain 23 or 2d for elevating or lowering the extensions 15, 16, and when not in use the extensions will be arranged as shown at the right of Fig. 1. The extension at the left of Fig. 1 shows the position when the tide is low and the barge or float is arranged adjacent to a bulkhead. It is obvious that this extension provides a means for continuing the conveyer, and for compensating for the rise and fall of the tide.

Adj acent to each end of the float and properly supported are shafts 25 and 26, and upon each of these shafts I arrange a gear wheel 27 or 28, having teeth which mesh with the projections 13 and 14: secured to the under side of each of the conveyor members 11. Upon the shaft 25, and secured in operative relation with the gear 27 is a chain gear or sprocket 29, and a chain 30, operated by a motor 31, rotates the gear 27 to cause the conveyer to travel in either direction, and in referring to the diagram Fig. 5, it will be noted that the conveyor belt, as it is sometimes called, engages with both the top and bottom of each of the gears 27 and 28. In this way I obtain a very positive movement of the conveyer, and provic e that the absence of a few of the teeth from the under side of the members 11 will not interrupt the operation of the conveyor.

The motor 81 is an electric motor con trolled by the master-controller 32, which should be in charge of an experienced operator or other responsible person. By means of this controller the conveyer may be supported and stopped, and its direction of travel reversed. I provide an auxiliary controller 33, which is in reality a drum type switch. A flexible member 3 such as a. cable or chain passes over the pulley 35 of the switch 33, and is supported by a second pulley 36, and a series of handles or operating levers 37 spaced apart, and each preferably adjacent to a post 38, by means of which the cover 39 of the conveyerplatform is supported, and when occasion requires the conveyer may be stopped at any point by the operation of one of the handles 37.

The location of the motor 31, may be such as will be found most convenient. The length and size of my device may be changed at will. I have'shown the chains 23 and 24k connected to and operable upon a drum upon the shafts 25 and 26 although with this arrangement it is necessary to move the conveyer while the extensions 15 and 16 are raised or lowered, I have not found this to be a disadvantage. I may, however, provide other means for raising and lowerlng the extensions 15 and 16, and other modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a clutch for engaging the chain drums with the sprocket 29, other means may be employed for obtaining a revolution of this chain drum when desired.

The means that I have employed consists of a plurality of projections &0 on the chain drum, and relative projections il upon the sprocket 29. To operate the drum, the lever a2 is moved toward the drum until the teeth engage, and with the motor running the chain drum will be revolved.

To lower the extensions 15 or 16, their respective chain drums need only be released by releasing the pressure on the brake Devices of this nature are quite common on whip-hoists, and it is this common type of device that I have employed because of its simplicity and ease of operation.

having carefully and fully described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A car float having a. centrally and longitudinally cisposed cover over one part thereof and a plurality of posts for supporting said cover and in combination therewith, a conveyor under said cover and supported by said posts, a motor for driving said conveyer, a main controller and a sec oncary rotary controller for controlling the operation of said motor, a plurality of pivoted handles one arranged adjacent to each post and a cable connected to each said handle and to said secondary controller to allow the operation of said controller by any of said handles.

2. The combination with a car float of a conveyor associated therewith, a driving means for the conveyer, a main controller and a secondary rotary controller for controlling the operation of said driving a plurality of control handles arranged at spaced intervals throughout the length of the float and a cable connecting the handles with the secondary controller to allow the operation of the controller by any of s2 id handles.

Signed at llew York cit county and State of New York this 9-3 day of June. 1917..

FRANGES V. lEENA.

Witnesses G. Mann, .ARTHUR PHELPS MARK. 

